Tirek fiddled with the golden medallion in his hands, letting his thumb trace the edges off the etchings as he studied all the small flaws.
Nopony would ever notice the faint scratches or uneven carvings, or note the little mistakes his brother had made when smoothed out the edges. But Tirek could always catch them with a glance, reminiscing over the weeks his brother had spent carving it in secret.
He thought about the first time he had discarded the medallion, when he used it to gain Discord's trust and manipulate him. Tirek was prepared to lose the medallion forever, using it as another stepping stone on his way to Equestria's throne. And then he had pawned it off once more, hoping to dig Normal and the Cat's Cradle out of their debts so that he could continue to hide from the princesses.
Both times he had been prepared to never see his brother's gift again, to leave it in the past as he pushed forward. And both times his medallion had returned, reminding him of every choice he made that led him to the Cat's Cradle. Tirek burned every bridge with his family when he tried to invade Equestria, and he had scorned Scorpan for holding out an olive branch.
He should have abandoned him, he should have just forgotten Tirek and moved on, left him to rot alone in prison for all of eternity. But he couldn't forget Tirek, and the centaur could never forget his brother either.
Tucking the trinket behind his shirt, Tirek turned his attention back to the surprisingly lively bar. Minotaurs and dragons filled every seat, leaving the counter completely free as they gathered in the tables that hugged the walls. A pair of dragons had teamed up against two minotaurs at a game of pool, often griping about the sticks being too short for any of the players to properly use.
Tirek grabbed another bottle from the shelf as a minotaur walked up, filling the glass with bottom shelf beer. "Thanks," the minotaur grunted, returning to his table as one of the dragons recounted an old job he had. The minotaur dropped a crystal in his drink, taking a sip as the green flashes lit up the glass.
Princess Luna's mercenaries had left the counter untouched, leaving every stool open as they filled the cramped table seats. Tirek had been surprised when they all came in, and he was even more surprised when they actually began ordering drinks. He didn't know why they had all shuffled inside, but he figured it must have been because Princess Luna ordered them too.
But what could the lunar mare have been thinking? Did she want to scare him? To show him how outnumbered he was? Or maybe she wanted the mercenaries to enjoy their last night of employment before Tirek was dragged back to the depths of Tartarus.
In any case, he doubted that the princess would order them without any reason. And, that reason finally trotted in when Luna stepped inside.
She didn't bother with a grandiose entrance like she had before, simply content to use her own four hooves as she trotted to the counter and took a seat. "Good evening, Tirek. A bottle of bourbon please," she ordered.
Tirek did as he was told without any complaint, serving the princess as she prepared another poison testing crystal.
"So Tirek, how are you feeling tonight?"
"Overworked," he grumbled, casting a glance at the dragon who was walking up with an empty glass.
"I want to assure you that this will all be covered by my tab," Princess Luna promised, as Tirek refilled another glass and took an empty tray of peanuts from the lizard.
"I'm sure Nermal will appreciate that. You should have seen his face when he heard that you came by. I think you might have taken one of his lives."
"Ah, yes, your boss is a very nice cat. Very good conversationalist," she said, taking another drink as Tirek looked at her.
"You... you talked to him?"
"Of course! After coming here that night, I dropped by his apartment to request a reservation for my mercenaries."
"Nermal didn't tell me anything about a reservation."
"Because I requested he keep it a secret," Luna replied, placing her glass down as she stood up from her seat. "Tirek, if you don't mind, I would like you to follow me."
"... I can't say no, can I?"
"It would be very unwise too," she advised him, leading the hesitant centaur out of the bar and to a carriage parked outside.
He couldn't help but notice how small the carriage was. If the princess had expected him to get inside, then she would be disappointed.
Princess Luna approached the carriage with a gentle voice, calling out to the pony inside with a sweet tone. "We're back. Could you open the door for us?"
A faint rustling rocked the carriage as they waited, a pair of tiny pink hooves brushing the curtain aside as a filly peaked out the window. Tirek felt his hair stand up when he caught a glimpse of the filly, watching as the little mare slowly opened the door and called out to the princess.
"I... Is everything okay?"
"Absolutely, Cozy. I brought a friend to say hello," the princess said, stepping aside as Cozy Glow followed the mare's gaze.
Cozy Glow clung to the door tightly when she noticed the red centaur, her fearful eyes filling with recognition as she called out to him.
"T-Tirek?" She stuttered, as the door slowly opened.
"Cozy... Are... you-" Tirek tried to say, only to be met with a sudden hug as the filly flew into his arms.
She babbled incoherent cries and pleas, begging for Tirek to not let Luna take her again. He tried to comfort her as he held on, patting her back as she sobbed into his coat.
"I'm a ghoood fhhilly!"
"Shh. Shh, I know you are, Cozy. I know."
"I dhon't whanna bhe Bhaaad!"
"I know," Tirek repeated, holding onto the sniveling foal a bit more tightly as he cradled her. "You're a... a good pony, Cozy."
Casting a glance at the princess, Luna gave them a gentle smile as she trotted into her carriage. "I'll give you both some privacy, as much as Celestia would feel comfortable with once I tell her. I'll be back in an hour," the princess promised, closing the carriage door as the ponies up front pulled it away, leaving the centaur and filly alone as she continued to cry.
Taking a seat on the stoop outside the Cat's Cradle, Tirek tried to comfort Cozy Glow, reminding her that she was safe from Luna and the others. He bit back his own tears as he coddled her, promising her that everything would be alright as she sobbed.
He wouldn't let either of them waste their second chance.